Air regenerator for coke ovens



Feb. 21, 1939. v M, Dy CURRANl 2,147,827

AIR REGENERATOR FOR COKE OVENS Filed Aug. 8, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet l l Il 55 J6 37 E@- 17 JZ J9 @MM/M7@ 7%:

Feb. 2l, 1939.

M, D.-., :URRA N AIR REGEERATOR FOR COKE OVENS Filed Aug; 8, i956 2 sheets-sheet 2 @Awww Patented Feb. l21, 1939 PATENT OFFICE 2,147,827 Am nEGENEaA'ron. Fon. Conn ovENs Application August 8, 1936, Serial No. 94,917

d Claims. (Cl. 2112-102) The present invention relates to improvements in air regenerators for coke ovens.

More particularly the present invention relates to coke ovens of the Knowles type. An example of such an oven is disclosed in the patent to Knowles and McIntyre No. 1,635,280, granted July .12, 1927. A characteristic of this type of oven is that a layer of coal or other hydrocarbon containing material is heated from below, said layer of coal being shallow relative to its width. The coal or equivalent material is disposed on a horizontal floor heated by iiues extending beneath said floor, the coking floor forming a part of the coking chamber, the oven having means for charging coal, means for withdrawing vapors and gases, means for sealing the ends of the chamber, and means permitting the pushing of the resulting coke out of the coking chamber.

It is common practice in connection with the ovens such as referred to to provide regenerative passageways placed below the heating fiues to transfer heat to the incoming air. It h'as been found in practice that avery considerable amount of` heat passes downwardly from the lowest of these regenerative passageways into the supporting pad therefor.

Subjects matter described but not claimed herein are claimed in copending applications Serial Nos. 94,916 and 94,918.

It is an object of the present invention to provide air passages in thermal communication with said concrete pad for utilizing the heat now lost through the foundations of a coke oven to preheat the air passing to the regenerative passages and thence to the heating iiues of the coke oven.

.It is common practice to arrange coke ovens in batteries, a number of ovens ,being placed side by side. According to certain aspects of the present invention, an object is to provide a construction having air passages disposed either longitudinally of a battery or transversely thereof @hat is-longitudinally of the various ovens) for the purpose of utilizing the heat which has hitherto been lost through the foundations of the battery. A construction in which the air heating passages are disposed lengthwise of the battery presents the difficulty that the length of the battery is limited by reason of the practical limitation on the amount of air which can be drawn through along flues extending lengthwise ofthe battery. A furtherl limitation of the construction just referred to is that it leaves something to be Adesired in the proper cooling of the yfoundations at the ends of the ovens where the downtakes from the regenerative nues to the waste gas ues are located.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, therefore, an object is to provide means for utilizing the heat heretofore lost in the foundations of coke ovens by a construction in which cooling air may be drawn transversely of the battery (that is-lengthwise of the individual ovens) through the foundations, whereby batteries of feasible length may be utilized without requiring excess draft through the air passages.

A further object is to provide an improved construction oi coke oven in which cooling passages may be disposed in rather close proximity to the downtakes from the regenerative fiues without danger of leakage.

AV further object is to provide an improved coke oven construction in which heat units which hitherto have kpassed downwardly into the foundations and thence to the atmospheremay be utilized for preheating the air for combustion.

A further object is to provide a coke oven installation in which the work required of the fan for forcing air into the heating flues may be reduced.

A further object is to provide a coke oven instaliation in which air for the heating ues may be preheated with reduced friction losses.

Further objects will appear as the description proceeds.

Referring to the drawings- Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view taken longitudinally of a battery of coke ovens, thatv is transversely of the individual coke ovens, said View being'taken along the plane indicated by the arrows l-I of Figure 2; ,f

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken along the plane indicated by the arrows 2-2 oi Figure 1; and

Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken..

along the piane indicated by the arrows 3-3 of Figure 1.

of said chambers will also be provided with means (not shown) for charging coal, and means for withdrawing vapors and gases.

According to usual practice in the Knowles type of oven, a plurality of heating nues I'l-I1 are disposed below the floor I2 of each oven in thermal communication with said floors. Said nues are deiinedby the horizontal wall I8 and the provides openings 20-20 from the heating flues Il to the space below said flues, said openings 20- 20 being located adjacentto the end walls of each of the ovens.A Disposed medially of each of the ovens is the vertical wall 2| extending transversely of each of said ovens. Each of said medial walls 2I extends downwardly from the horizontal wall I8 to the foundations of the corresponding oven and divides the space below the wall I8 of each oven into two regenerative chambers. Extending from each end wall of each oven is the horizontal partition wall 22 disposed below and in spacedl relationship with the wall I8. Each of said walls 22-22 at the region adjacent to the medial wall 2| has an aperture 23 providing communication between the region above and the region below the corresponding wall 22. Expressed in other language, the horizontal wall 22 at each end of each oven provides a U-shaped passageway or hairpin passageway from the region at the bottom of the oven adjacent to the end wall thereof to the medial region of the oven and back adjacent to the end wall, where communication is had through the apertures 20 to the heating ues I'I. According to usual practice, waste gas tunnels 24-24 are provided at the ends of the ovens, that ls--extending longitudinally of the battery of ovens along the pusher side and the coke side of a battery of ovens. Downtakes 25-25 provide communication from the regenerative chambers at each end of each oven with said waste gas tunnels.

According to usual practice, the coke ovens are supported by pads 26 of concrete or the like. According to afpreferred embodiment of the present invention and as illustrated in the drawings, air passageways are provided through or adjacent to said pads 26, which passageways are disposed lengthwise of the various ovens, that i's-transversely of a battery of ovens. The numeral 21 indicates such air passageways. It will be noted that said air passageways 2'I extend from the ends of the ovens to downtakes 28-28 adjacent to the medial wall 2 I, and lead to the air suction flue 29. Said air suction flue is preferably connected to a, fan box 30, which through air passages 3I-3I connects with the air manifolds 32- 32 extending longitudinally of the battery of ovens at the two ends of the individual ovens. Said' air passages 3I--3I may be controlled by valves 3Ia-3Ia. Said air manifolds 32--32 are provided with air inlets 33 communicating with the regenerating chambers at the two ends 'of the ovens. The numerals 34-34 indicate gas manifolds, which through gas inlets 35-35 connect with the heating ues I'I-II at the two ends of the ovens.

A problem which has confronted applicant in providing the construction above described has been to prevent communication between the gas downtakes 25-25 and the air passages 21-21. Inasmuch as said air passages 21-21 pass in close proximity to the gas passages 25-25, leakage is likely to occur therebetween unless effective .means are provided for preventing such leakage.

According to the present invention, the pad 26 has thereon a plurality of blocks Sii-36. Said blocks 36-36 are preferably rectangular in outline and are provided with the central apertures 311-31. Said blocks 36-36 are mounted upon the pad 26 with their apertures3I-3I inyregistry with the downtakes 25-25. Said blocks 36-36 are spaced apart, asindicated by the numerals 538-38, to provide passageways aligned and in communication with the passageways 21-21 formed in the brickwork of the ovens. It will be noted from an inspection of Figure l that said blocks 36--36 are mounted in their spaced relationship continuously from oven to oven. The air passages 2li-2l in alignment with the spacing between said blocks 36-36 alsoare disposed in spaced relationship from oven to oven, whereby the cooling eect of said passageways 2I-`2'I is had through the pier walls I4-I4. The blocks 36-36 may be of clay, brick or tile, or other preferred construction having the necessary ruggedness and resistance to temperature conditions.

Though a preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described in detail, many modifications will occur to those skilled in the art. It is intended to cover all such modifications that fall within the scope of the appended claims.

1. In a coke oven or the like, in combination, a licor, heating nues disposed below said oor extending throughout the length thereof, a pair of regenerative chambers below said heating ues, means dividing said chambers medially of the length of said oven, one of said chambers having communication with said ues at one end of said flues, the other of said regenerative chambers having communication with said flues at the other end of said ilues, means for admitting gas to the two ends of said fiues, foundation means providing downtakes from said regenerative chambers, said foundation means being provided with air ducts extending therealong, and means for circulating airthrough said air ducts to one of said regenerative chambers and for withdrawing products of combustion from said ues through the other of saidregenerative chambers, said downtakes being positioned to extend rdownwardly between said air ducts, said regenerative chambers having connections thereto whereby 'iow through said regenerative chambers may be reversed.

2. In a coke oven or the like, in combination, a floor, heating flues disposed below said iloor extending throughout the length thereof, a pair of regenerative chambers below said heating ues, means dividing said chambers medially of the length of said oven, one of said chambers having communication with said ues at one end of said flues, the other of said regenerative chambers having communication with said ues at the other end of said ues, means for admitting gas to the two ends of said lues, foundation means providing downtakes from said regenerative chambers, said foundation means being provided with air ducts extending therealong, and means for circulating air through said air ducts to one of said regenerative chambers and for withdrawing products of combustion from said ues through the other of said regenerative chambers, said downtakes being positioned to extend downwardly between said air ducts, said circulating and withdrawing means including tunnels located adjacent to the ends of said ues, and a tunnel communicating with said air ducts at a region disposed medially of the length of said oven, said regenerative chambers having connections thereto whereby iiow through said regenerative chambers may be reversed.

3. In a coke oven or the like, in combination, a floor, heating ues disposed belowY said oor extending throughout the length thereof, a pair of regenerative chambers below said heating ues, means dividing said chambers medially of the length of said oven, one of said chambers having communication with said ues at one end of said ues, the other of said regenerative chambers having communication with said fiues at the other end of said ues, means for admitting gas to the two ends of said fiues, foundation means providing downtakes from said regenerative chambers, said foundation means being provided with air ducts extending therealong, and means for circulating air through said air ducts to one of said regenerative chambers and for withdrawing products of combustion from said iues through the other of said regenerative chambers, said downtakes being positioned to extend downwardly between said air ducts, said downtakes being dened in part by preforming apertured blocks, said blocks being spaced apart to define portions of said air ducts, said regenerative chambers having connections thereto whereby flow through said regenerative chambers may be reversed.

4. In a coke oven or the like, in combination, a oor, heating ues disposed below said door Patent No 2,1)47 ,8.27

MAURICE' D, cURaLiN.4

extending throughout the length thereof, a pair of regenerative chambers below said heating ues, means dividing said'fchambers medially of the v length of said oven, one of said chambers having products of combustion from said fiues through the other of said regenerative chambers, said downtakes being positioned to extend downwardly between said air ducts, said circulating and withdrawing means including tunnels located adjacent to the ends of said ues, and a tunnel communieating with said air ducts at a region disposed medially of the length of said oven structure, said downtakes being defined in part by prelformed apertured blocks, said blocks being spaced apart to define portions of said air ducts, said regenerative chambers having connections thereto whereby flow through said regenerative chambers may be reversed.

' MAURICE D. CURRAN.

cERrIFIcATaoF CORREHTIQN..

February 21 195 9 It is herebyr certified that error appears'i'n the printed specification of the above numbered patent .requiring correct ion as follows: 4Page 5 first column, lineV 25 claim 5 for "preformingl' read preformed; and that the said Letters Patent shouldberead withthie correction therein that the same may conform to the record of thecase in the Patent Office. I

signed and sealed this 25th day of April, A.D. r1959.

(Seal) Henry AVanAredale Acting "Commissioner of Patents. 

